The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is a book-style foldable phone. Samsung announced it on July 26, 2023, at its first Galaxy Unpacked event held in Seoul. It went on sale on August 11, 2023, starting at $1,799.99 in the US for the 256 GB model. The phone is now discontinued. Samsung’s US store lists it as no longer available, and the Galaxy Z Fold6 replaced it.
Design and display
Folded, the Fold5 measures 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm and weighs 253 g. A redesigned hinge lets the two halves close without a gap. As a result, it is thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold4 when folded. The frame is Armor Aluminum, while Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the cover screen and the back.
The main screen is a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 2176 x 1812 resolution. Its adaptive refresh rate runs from 1 Hz to 120 Hz. The 6.2-inch cover screen has a 2316 x 904 resolution and a 48–120 Hz range. Peak brightness reaches 1,750 nits, and the panel supports HDR10+. The phone is rated IPX8 for water resistance, but it has no dust rating.
Performance
The Fold5 runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 tuned for Galaxy phones. The Galaxy S23 series uses the same chip. Every version has 12 GB of RAM. Storage options are 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB, all using UFS 4.0. There is no microSD slot. The phone also works with the S Pen Fold Edition, which is sold separately.
Cameras
The rear setup has three cameras. The main camera uses a 50 MP sensor with an f/1.8 lens and optical stabilization. Next to it sits a 12 MP ultrawide camera with a 123-degree view. A 10 MP telephoto camera adds 3x optical zoom and OIS. Samsung’s Space Zoom reaches up to 30x with digital zoom.
For selfies, the cover screen has a 10 MP camera. The main screen hides a 4 MP under-display camera. The rear cameras can record video at up to 8K and 30 fps.
Battery and charging
A 4,400 mAh dual battery powers the phone. Wired charging reaches 25W, which Samsung says gives up to 50% in about 30 minutes. However, the 25W adapter is sold separately, as there is no charger in the box. The Fold5 also supports 15W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare for charging other devices.
Software and updates
The phone launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1. Samsung promised four Android upgrades and five years of security updates. That means support ends in 2028. Later Samsung foldables, starting with the Fold6, moved to seven years of updates.
Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold5?
The Fold5 suits people who want a tablet-sized screen that folds into a phone, plus S Pen support. Its flagship chip, fast UFS 4.0 storage and three rear cameras still cover demanding tasks. However, Samsung no longer produces it, and new units are hard to find. Its update window is also shorter than on newer models. Buyers who want longer support should look at the Galaxy Z Fold6 or later models.
